


The Butterfly Effect

by donghyucktiny



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donghyucktiny/pseuds/donghyucktiny
Summary: “The Butterfly Effect, according to the Cambridge dictionary, is a situation in which an action or change that does not seem important has a very large effect.” Mark reads off of the book he’s holding while Donghyuck just looks at him in confusion.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	The Butterfly Effect

**Author's Note:**

> for my soulmate, happy birthday!

“Do you believe in soulmates?” Mark asks out of nowhere, startling the boy seated at the edge of his bed.

“That’s so random but no? I guess not? I mean, I never really thought about it until now. Why?” Donghyuck starts to wonder if Mark even is still reading the book he’s holding or if he’s just pretending to look at it while talking.

They have been quiet for a while now – well, not a while. They would always hang out like this, just sitting quietly in a room (usually Mark’s because “Hyuck’s apartment is as messy as my room when I was 2”, according to him) and somehow that’s more comforting that forcing themselves to do something just for the sake of saying that they are indeed “hanging out” whatever that activity requires.

Or maybe it’s the fact that they’ve known each other for years that being in each other’s presence is enough comfort for the both of them. Donghyuck thinks for a moment and he realizes that he has always found comfort in his relationship with Mark. _Mark feels like home_.

“The Butterfly Effect, according to the Cambridge dictionary, is a situation in which an action or change that does not seem important has a very large effect.” Mark reads off of the book he’s holding while Donghyuck just looks at him in confusion.

"So like, maybe if I had chosen the mild flavor of ramen instead of the flaming hot one then maybe my stomach wouldn't have to suffer for three days. Is that what you're saying?"

Mark ignores Donghyuck's remark and continues, “Remember when we first met? It just so happens that my cousin was sick that day and it was my fault so I was forced to work at his music store for the day”. Donghyuck just nods, feeling bad that he’s somehow thankful that Mark decided to playfully bump his cousin while they were walking along a lake the day before they met.

“And we wouldn’t have met if I didn’t accidentally break my guitar strings,” Donghyuck continues Mark’s story, as if they have thought about the same scenario a million times.

Mark laughs as he puts down his book. “You left the part where you shyly asked me if I could help you attach the strings to your guitar because you didn’t know how.”

“Alright, in my defense I was new to playing the guitar and I was scared the strings are just gonna snap at my face.”

“I would’ve accepted that excuse except instead of just bringing your guitar the next day you told me to come over to your apartment inst—“ Mark stops mid-sentence as he sees a pillow flying towards his direction, his giggles becoming muffled.

Donghyuck hugs another pillow while desperately trying to hide his face, “shut up! I had my reasons. Don’t you remember?”

* * *

_Mark met Donghyuck 6 years ago._

It was a Tuesday morning and Johnny has been suffering with cold since last night. He has called Mark at 7 am, telling him to be in the music store for him since apparently he got sick due to Mark bumping into him which caused Johnny to unexpectedly get soaked.

“Come on, Mark. You just have to man the store. There aren’t even a lot of customers since it’s a weekday. You can at least do this for me after you dragged me home last night looking like an elephant cried on top of my head,” Johnny blabbers as he sniffles for the nth time.

“Okay, first of all you sound gross so just stay there and drink lots of water”, Mark sleepily replies while he looks for his car keys. “I guess I have no choice. I’ll just get bored in my apartment anyway so I’ll go to your store so don’t worry about it.”

_Mark could’ve met Donghyuck at the coffee shop._

And Donghyuck would think that’s cliché, except they didn’t meet there. Mark who stops by the coffee shop every morning decided to skip the same day when Donghyuck got dragged by his sister screaming about chocolate cake - which Donghyuck found odd because his sister has never really liked anything sweet, especially in the morning. Donghyuck gets reminded again of that time his sister rejected the pancakes he made for her breakfast one time.

Mark was already late, though he isn’t really sure for what. Johnny told him to open by 9 am and Mark just realized he won’t even know even if he opens the store at 11 am.

And as Mark’s car passes by his favorite coffee shop, he takes a glance at the brown-haired boy holding a little girl’s hand coming out of the door.

_Donghyuck could’ve continued his daily routine that day._

Instead, he wanted to do something new. He has just been sitting in their apartment for days and he gets bored whenever his sister takes her afternoon nap. He tried writing the other day but that really wasn’t for him, he couldn’t find both the words to write down and the inspiration to actually write something. Should he draw something? He tried that once and his sister innocently asked about the large plate drawing on his wall. Donghyuck drew the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars.

He looked at the dusty guitar that has been sitting at the end of his bed. He hasn’t touched it in 4—no, 5 years? He bought it because he wanted to learn but no one was really around to teach him and he just got tired of it.

Donghyuck picks up the guitar and _snap._

“Did I strum it too hard!?” Donghyuck exclaims in shock as he looks at the broken string of the guitar.

_Mark could’ve just closed the music store earlier than usual._

As Johnny said, there haven’t been too many customers. It’s past 2 in the afternoon and the only person that came in the music store was a middle-aged guy asking Mark for direction. _Maybe I should close now instead of later._ Mark thinks as he stands up to go to the shelves to start his inventory (since Johnny insisted he do that, even if no one bought anything).

Mark suddenly hears the bell ring as he looks up at the rows of ukuleles, signalling him that someone came in.

The brown-haired boy oddly looked familiar, though Mark isn’t sure where he’s seen him before.

“I, umm…” the boy trails off, looking like he’s trying hard to think what to say. Mark senses that it’s probably the boy’s first time in a music store so he tries his best to smile and ask him.

“May I help you?” he offers as he now notices the little girl holding onto the boy’s shirt.

The little girl looks around in curiosity and looks at the boy again. “Aren’t you gonna buy something, Donghyuck? It’s almost time for Sofia the First”

_Yeah, Donghyuck should just go home and watch Sofia the First before he embarrasses himself. He’s not even sure what to buy._

“Sorry, I’m just gonna go—“ as Donghyuck starts to turn on his heels, Mark interrupts him.

“You play the guitar,” he says as a matter of factly, like he’s known Donghyuck for a long time. Donghyuck just looks at him in confusion.

“Sorry, the fingers on your left hand are very red so I assumed you play the guitar. Beginner?” Mark asks as he looks for something on one of the shelves.

Donghyuck looks at his sister before carrying her to one of the stools. “Yeah, and um my strings got broken but I don’t know which strings to buy.”

Mark looks at the boy – Donghyuck, as the little girl called him – and hands him a small box. “This should do it.”

_Donghyuck could’ve just grabbed the box, paid for it, and left._

“Yeah, about that...” Donghyuck starts as he stares at the box.

Mark just throws him an apologetic look as he realized what Donghyuck wants to say. “Oh! I’m so sorry I forgot you’re new to playing the guitar. You could bring your guitar tomorrow if you want help to attach the strings. My cousin Johnny will be here instead of me though, but he’s really kind! I’ll tell him to help you if you stop by tomorrow. Don’t worry, he won’t charge you for that.”

“Can you come over to my apartment instead?” Donghyuck blurts out, immediately regretting the words coming out of his mouth. “I mean—“ _oh that sounded really bad, didn’t it?_ “It’s not what it sounds like, I promise! It’s just that my parents are away this week and I'm scared to go out with my sister again after she almost got lost today. So if you um, if you don’t mind.”

 _Mark could’ve said no, apologized, and moved on. You know, stranger danger and stuff like that._ Though he’s glad he didn’t.

“Sure. I’ll give you my number so you can text me the address,” Mark replies, handing the stranger his phone – not knowing that as much as doesn’t know anything about the boy right now, he’s about to learn everything about him in the next few years.

Mark could've just simply stopped contacting Donghyuck after that event, except he didn't. He kept coming over Donghyuck's apartment even after the string of his guitar were fixed. He kept coming back whether to teach Donghyuck how to play or to just sit in his living room while eating the chocolate cake he bought from their favorite coffee shop.

* * *

_They could have just been two total strangers, existing in two different stories._ Somehow their decisions led them to a different story, a story which both of them continue to write even after 6 years have passed.

"The butterfly effect, huh" Donghyuck whispers, getting lost in his and Mark's shared memories.

Mark snaps Donghyuck out of his thoughts, “I’m really glad you didn’t know how to put guitar strings, Hyuck.”

"And I'm thankful you didn't close the store earlier that day." 

The comforting silence comes back after that. Mark was about to continue reading when he hears the younger boy speak again.

“I don’t believe in soulmates, Mark but..." Donghyuck trails off before reaching over to hold Mark's hand in his, "you know maybe we are an exemption.” 


End file.
